Home Organizing & Cleaning Tips, Hints

We are all getting sick of winter at this point and can hardly wait to open up the windows and feel the breeze come in, see the sunshine and smell the freshness in our homes. How can we do that with dirty windows, a smelly carpet and upholstery and stagnant air?

 

It’s time to get busy and

Clear the clutter

Get rid of the odors

Give the house a fresh look

In addition, be ready to have fun this summer!

 

Where do we start?
It seems as though there are not enough hours in a day the way it is! We don’t have time to paint rooms and tear things apart and we know that we need to, at the very least, start something as far as Spring Cleaning- but how and where?

 

That is true, but when those hours are making your days seem longer, making you depressed and listless; it is time to do something about it.

 

Here are some FAST things that you can do to give your home a clean feeling and new look and to give you the boost that you will need to tackle the big jobs.

 

1^st MAJOR Hint-

 Work on your whole house at once; get a starting point and walk around the house by starting on one wall and continue through the whole house. This way you will see a difference in EVERY room of your home and it will give you a power boost knowing that you have really made a difference in only one hour or day of cleaning.

 

Let My Home Shine:

• Wash all of the windows on the inside of the house and let the sun shine in
• Clean all of the glassware that you have sitting around the house with a solution of 1 cup of vinegar to about 1 gallon of water and see it sparkle. (There Are other recipes to use, this happens to be my favorite)
• Wash all of the mirrors and get off the residue-you haven’t actually seen yourself since last fall, have you!
• Shine the computer and TV screens- the pictures will be so vivid- imagine that!
• Wipe over the kitchen and bathroom cabinets and then spray with furniture polish and let them shine
• Polish the fans and wash the glass shades on the lighting fixtures-don’t forget to wipe the light bulbs!

 

2^nd MAJOR Hint;

Do the vacuuming last; it makes a major difference in the look of a room and you will know it is the last thing on your list to do. Then sit back and enjoy!

 

 

Get the Odors Out:

• Get all of the musty smells out of there
• Sprinkle baking soda on the carpets and Vacuum the carpets
• Wash all of the scatter rugs with baking soda to eliminate stagnant odors
• Spray the furniture with Fabric Freshener
• Dust the furniture, cabinets etc. with a lemon furniture polish
• Spray perfume or air freshener on the light bulbs to give the room a fresh odor (Fabric Freshener works well too)
• Wipe out the oven and put a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom to catch spills
• Wipe out the microwave and see it shine
• Throw 2 alka seltzer tablets in the toilet bowls and let them clean the toilet bowl for you while you’re cleaning the rest of the house, then go back and flush and your done.
• Sweep and Wash the floors with a lemon based cleaner (Lysol is great and kills 99% bacteria)

 

3^rd Major Hint:

Move a few of the things you have on tables and dressers to a different spot. It will change the look of a room (even if you only move it from one corner to another).

 

This will give you a great start on your cleaning, a new look to your home, a fresh smell to the air and a boost to your ego!

 

Jan Hayner is the creator of, Easy Home Organizing; make sure you check out her website at http://www.organizingyourlifetheeasyway.com for more hints on cleaning and home organizing. She offers checklists, tips and hints from a Professional Organizer and books to guide you along the way to an Organized Home.